Dwyane Wade opens up about his battle to gain full custody of his children

When Dwyane Wade and his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, were going through divorce proceedings, most people were likely concentrating on the speculated reasons for the couple’s split, as allegations of emotional abuse, infidelity and mistrust swirled around. But, what was truly at stake was the well being of their two sons, Zaire and Zion.

In an sit down interview with Lisa Salter for ESPN E:60, Wade reveals that the quest to gain sole custody of his boys was in actuality a risk that could have resulted in him losing access to them all together.

He felt he had no choice but to fight, and after a year of hearings, temporary judgements and eyebrow raising headlines, the boys joined their father permanently in Miami.

The first of his Heat teammates to learn the news was LeBron James, who said hearing the news made him feel like “an extra father in the family” because he was so happy for his friend.

In the end (or what was actually a new beginning) the boys were able to be present and share in their father’s accomplishment of winning his second championship in 2012 when the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Meanwhile, Funches, made a recent appearance on the Dr. Phil Show, where she claims she has been unfairly and negatively portrayed by the media. Its quite sad to see a woman in this position, fighting for her dignity and a relationship with her babies. Only she knows in her heart how things ended up this way.

Whatever the case, the children come first, and we won’t know what all these family changes and events mean to them until they are grown.